VIDEO: Pre-match Press Conference
Carson-Newman Volleyball Match Notes
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman is in Tampa, Fla. to play in its first National Quarterfinal as the Eagles face 11th-ranked Wayne State (Neb.) Thursday evening at 5 p.m. in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center.
"Wayne St. is a great team," Carson-Newman coach Dan Ahiers said following the Southeast Region Championship match. "I know they just beat Concordia-St. Paul. They come from the Central Region. The Central Region is probably the best region in the country. It's anybody's game. When you have a team 1-16 that is bought in completely we're going to be a tough out. I'm excited to play them."
Carson-Newman (29-7) is above .500 (6-5) in NCAA Tournament play for the first time in program history as the Eagles lost in their first two trips to the national tournament in 2002 and 2008. The 29 wins are the second-most in program history trailing a 31-win 2002 team.
The Eagles are the second South Atlantic Conference school in the conference's history to reach the National Quarterfinals joining four-time participant Wingate. Carson-Newman is seeking to join Bulldogsas the only SAC schools to win at least one set as the Bulldogs took one from Concordia-St. Paul in 2012.
The Eagles have racked up the third-most digs per set in the tournament thus far piling up an impressive 25.58 scoops per frame while junior libero Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) ranks seventh in the field with 6.83 digs per set.
In the four-set victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on December 6 in the Southeast Region title match, the Eagles set a program-record for digs in a match piling up 138 on the night as Taylor Lowe set her career-high with 39 digs. The figure is just outside of the top-10 in SAC history. It is the most digs in a four-set match at the Division II level since at least 2013.
Sophomore setter Anna Patton (Franklin, Tenn.), a second-team All-SAC selection, tallied a double-double in all three matches during the Southeast Region. Her 1,392 assists this season are the fourth-most in a single season in program history while her 10.55 assists per set are the fifth-highest total.
The team's leader in kills, senior outside hitter Molly Locke (College Grove, Tenn.), has a double-double in seven of her last eight matches and leads the team with 18 this year. The second-team All-Southeast Region honoree is the first player since Jenna Rust in 2003 to notch at least 400 kills and 400 digs in the same year with 440 kills and 441 digs on the year. The 440 kills are the seventh-most in a single year in Carson-Newman's history.
Junior middle blocker Maddie Borch (Walnut Creek, Calif.) became the first player in program history to lead the conference in hitting percentage piling up a .349 mark this year. The second-team All-Region pick has at least 13 kills in eight straight matches having hit under .333 just one time in that span.
Senior outside hitter Sara Fairley (Charlotte, N.C.) became the programs first-ever Academic All-Region pick this year and is the second player to earn the SAC Scholar Athlete honor this season. On the court, the first-team All-SAC pick has 10 double-doubles this year while ranking second the roster with 406 digs.
Carson-Newman and Wayne St. have never played against each other in volleyball. Thursday's match marks the first National Quarterfinal contest for each program.
The Eagles are 1-2 all-time against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference programs. In 2000, C-N was swept at Southwest Minnesota State and fell in four sets to Northern State (S.D.). On Sept. 5th of this season, the Eagles swept Bemidji State.
The Wildcats have reached the National Quarterfinal as the No. 7 seed from the Central Region with a sweep of No. 8 Washburn, a four-set win over No. 4 Southwest Minnesota St. and a sweep of seven-time national champion No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul who defeated Wayne St. twice in the regular season in four sets.
The NSIC team has spent 87 straight weeks ranked inside of the American Volleyball Coaches' Association top 25 poll, a string that dates back to Sept. 28th, 2009. A team from the NSIC has advanced to the National Championship game in each of the last eight seasons. Concordia-St. Paul won titles from 2007-13 while Southwest Minnesota State fell to Tampa in the 2014 contest.
This is the 10th time in program history that the Wildcats have qualified for the national tournament possessing a 6-9 record dating back to 2005.
Wayne St. is third in the nation this season in digs per set with 19.96 led by senior Courtney VanGroningen's 5.21 scoops per frame.
The Wildcats rank 16th in the nation with 14.03 kills per set and 26th nationally with a .235 attack percentage.
Junior Alyssa Frauendorfer was named a first-team All-Central Region honoree while VanGroningen received honorable mention honor for the region and by the AVCA for All-American after being named the NSIC Libero of the Year. The libero ranks second in the history of the school with 2,130 total digs.
Setter Leisa McClintock has a 64-assist match on her resume this season while ranking 12th in the country with 11.36 assists per set. She is the all-time leader in program history in assists having compiled 5,007 total helpers.
Senior Katie Hughes leads the team this year with 20 double-doubles while being third on the school's all-time digs list with 1,899 and ranking 14th with 1,148 kills. She is the team leader in kills per set this year with 3.53 while ranking inside of the top 10 in the league for points per set, kills per set and digs per set.
The Eagles and Wildcats begin the second session of Thursday night at 5 p.m. with live video provided here and live stats available here for the contest.
Tickets for Thursday's match can be purchased using this link with prices beginning at $12 for a session or $30 for the entire event for adult general admission.
The winner of the match advances to the National Semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the NYIT versus Palm Beach Atlantic meeting.
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